After ordering my SRW conversion wheels from "unmentioned" company, I waited for 11 months, and still no wheels. I called up Wheels Now Inc. They didn't have the specs for the needed wheels so I provided the info that I knew. The were out of the 19.5" blanks at first but got them back in stock pretty quick.

After a few back and forth email, we got them through engineering and in line to be built. About 7 weeks later, my new wheels showed up. Went looking for some H rated tires with some tread and ended up with the Toyo M-608Z.

To get the full carrying capacity of the truck, the H rated 285/70R19.5 (6400LBS) tires is what I needed. Took the wheels down to the truck tire shop in Denver to have them mounted up and balanced. He gave me the good news that he was going to discount the install (by a bunch) which I was happy about.

Turns out that there was a reason. After paying, I went out to take a look. Seems that the guys working on my wheels thought that they were working a farm tractor and didn't really take in to consideration that I had just spent $2K on these wheels with the nice new shiny black powder coating. Now they looked like they belonged on a farm tractor.

Knowing that I could act stupid if I went back in, I chose to suck it up, take the lump, and drive off with my new tires and wheels. Now to get them on the truck.

Turns out the blanks that were used to build the wheels had a bulge to the inside of the wheel that just so happened to line up perfectly with my front brake calipers. Didn't seem to be enough of a problem that a flap-wheel disk couldn't resolve.

After a little polishing of the caliper, the wheels are on. There may be a 1/32" clearance, but it works. These massive wheels don't seem to flex at all.

Got on the highway for a test drive, and the truck now drove like a tractor, it was shaking all over the place. Next day drove it back to the tire shop for a check.

Things didn't go so well with that starting with lug-nuts that wouldn't come off of any wheel. Seems that my Craftsman impact gun was able to do an almost permanent job of putting them on and the tire shop couldn't get them off.

After a couple broke sockets and a bent up tire iron, we got them off of the truck.

Now off to the lounge to wait for the work to be done. Got work that it was ready to go, no money exchanged, and off to the house.

Not perfect but a lot better then before. I don't expect this to ride like a pickup so I am good to go. And for a side note, the wheels clock in at about 80lbs. and the tires are almost 100lbs, that puts each tire/wheel combo at almost 200lbs.

I bought a spare tire and wheel but if I ever have to change it there will be a call to AAA since I wouldn't be able to get the flat tire back on the bed of my truck.

20190813_015052922_iOS_sml.jpg


20190813_015106531_iOS_sml.jpg


Little close the bed but this is an F550. I drop the hitch of my camper, 2800lbs tongue weight, and the bed drops by an inch.

By the end of this, I will be installing a Kelderman Quad-bag four-link air-ride suspension that I picked up off of an ambulance.

I hope to lift it a couple of inches with that.

s-l1600_sml.jpg

Next....